After November arrived, the drop in temperature became impossible to ignore.
The mountains surrounding Hogwarts were shrouded in a blanket of white—ice and snow covering every surface. Even the lake had taken on the look and feel of quenched steel, hard and bitterly cold.
Each morning, the ground outside was coated in frost. There were far fewer couples meeting in the central courtyard now; most young wizards preferred staying cozy inside the warmth of the Hogwarts castle rather than huddling together in the cold, pretending it was romantic...
Still, the freezing weather did nothing to cool the students' enthusiasm for Quidditch.
Because the Hogwarts Quidditch season was about to begin!
This year's excitement wasn't so different from previous years—except this time, two young wizards had broken Hogwarts' long-standing rule prohibiting lower-year students from joining house teams.
Naturally, the spotlight for this year's Quidditch season had shifted to the rivalry between these two.
Who was stronger?
Who had more talent?
As the season approached, the anticipation surrounding their face-off only continued to grow.
Especially since the opening match would be between their two houses.
In an instant, Quidditch fever reached an all-time high at Hogwarts...
...
One of the rule-breakers was, of course, Draco—currently half-reclined in the Slytherin common room.
He held a book in one hand, the other resting lazily on the armrest.
He looked like a dragon lounging in his lair...
Draco didn't seem any different from usual. In fact, not seeing him in that spot even for a day might have made people worry something was wrong.
But while Draco looked completely at ease, Pansy, watching nearby, was nowhere near as calm.
"Draco!"
"What is it?"
That smooth voice and those sharp gray eyes would have made Pansy swoon any other day.
But not today...
"What is it? Have you even gone to Quidditch practice? You probably don't even know who your teammates are!"
It sounded like a question, but given how often she trailed after him, she already knew the answer.
Especially after that cheating tabby stopped showing up, Draco's schedule had gotten even simpler.
Basically, if you wanted to find Draco, just head to the library or the common room. He'd be there.
Which was exactly why Pansy was sure—Draco hadn't attended a single practice.
And she was right...
"I'd rather stay warm in the common room."
Whether it was confidence or arrogance, Draco's remark made Pansy's temple twitch.
"Do you not get it? Your match against the Chosen One is all anyone's talking about! If you lose, it won't just be a regular loss!"
Pansy, visibly irritated by his nonchalance, stomped forward, her small frame closing in on him.
"Don't tell me... you haven't even used the broom I gave you?"
"Mm-hmm."
"..."
Pansy's jaw dropped in disbelief.
What was that supposed to mean?
Mm-hmm, your Merlin!
He didn't even look fazed—just raised his book to block her view and brushed her off like it was nothing.
Her face darkened. Furious, she pounced on him.
"Hey, hey! Wait, wait! Don't sit on me!!"
"That's for brushing me off! And ignoring me!"
The sound of their scuffle drew mixed reactions from the nearby Slytherins.
Some were shocked at their boldness in public; others were green with envy that Pansy could get so close to the Slytherin prince.
As for Goyle and Crabbe—who followed Draco everywhere—they barely glanced up before going right back to their homework.
Judging by their reaction, this definitely wasn't the first time this had happened...
…
After the scuffle between them had ended...
Draco bent down to pick up Quidditch Through the Ages, which had fallen to the floor. He sat upright in the ornate chair and adjusted his slightly rumpled robes.
It's worth noting that this copy of Quidditch Through the Ages had come bundled with the Nimbus 2000 Pansy gifted him...
"I don't even know what's going through your head. Didn't you hear a single word I said?"
Maybe it was from all the fussing just now, or maybe it was the close contact—but Pansy, glaring at Draco, looked adorably flushed, her cheeks a rosy pink.
Clearly, Pansy had truly lost her temper, going so far as to act in a way totally unbecoming of her usual poise.
Otherwise, she might've realized that in all the pushing and pulling, her robe had slipped out of place—enough for Draco, standing this close, to catch a glimpse of the fair skin beneath her clothes.
The sight made Draco arch an eyebrow...
"Come here."
"You... Oh."
Faced with Draco's sudden seriousness, Pansy found it hard to resist. Without thinking, she took a step toward him.
Before she could even ask why, Draco's hand reached out.
His large hand gently pulled her robe back up over her shoulder.
With a focused gaze, he scanned her from head to toe, checking for any remaining creases.
Draco's uncharacteristically attentive gesture left Pansy stunned, her cheeks burning as her mind momentarily blanked. She stood there motionless, letting him fuss over her.
Gone was the commanding little princess from earlier.
Right now, Pansy looked more like a small, bewildered puppy being doted on by its owner...